BEST CORDLESS IMPACT WRENCH REVIEWS 2018- TOP PICKS

In this cordless impact wrench review, we look at the five best cordless impact wrench products available. Cordless is far better than the corded variety because you don’t have to worry about how far the air tool’s cable will stretch or have work and safety concern over accidents tripping over the power outlet cord either. However, batteries are required, and they must be recharged to keep the tool usable for several hours a day if used regularly.

The pneumatic air tools still have their place for hardcore jobs in the workshop that need nothing less but getting air tools into and out of tight spaces isn’t very practical. This is where cordless impact wrenches have their place in the workshop.

Instead of manually loosening and removing lug nuts from a wheel, these impact wrenches provide heavy-duty action via powerful rotating forces to release the grip of even the most stubborn nut. In fact, nuts throughout the engine and manifold can be removed using a strong impact wrench; not only lug nuts.

Most of the units under review are ½-inch versions, but there’s also a couple of good 3/8th-inch versions if you require that (socket adapters are available separately to convert a 3/8th-inch socket to a ½-inch one). We’ve got you covered either way.

Dimensions :13.5 x 11 x 4.5 in

Power Source : battery-powered

View the Best Cordless Impact Wrench for the Money, Below.

This is our first cordless impact wrench review, so it’s fitting that it’s a DeWalt product because they’re a popular brand with mechanics and other people who work with power tools all day. The familiar yellow branding is evident here with its coloring along the side air vent, the side of the handle and most noticable at the base.

The 20-volt lithium-ion batteries are not sold with this SKU (it’s the bare tool with no battery or recharging base provided) but this too sports the attractive yellow branding.

The 1/2-inch square drive is powered by an 18-volt brushless motor. The brushes are replaceable to extend the life of the tool itself. The metal transmission is well produced and surrounded by magnesium on the case for improved resistance from the regular knocks of rough workshop life.

The DC820B is a compact work tool for busy mechanics who sometimes need to get into tight spaces and require a small, yet powerful tool for their job. The three-year limited warranty is reassuring, as is the respected DeWalt quality.

The DeWalt DCF883M2 is their cordless 3/8th-inch impact wrench set. It comes with two XRP durable lithium-ion batteries that are rated to provide over 30 percent longer life per recharge.

The 3.8th-inch square drive is usable with the included hog ring anvil to swap out to different sockets like a ½-inch one. Therefore, this model does double-duty compared to standard ½-inch square drive models.

It’s lighter at 3.4-lbs which will please mechanics who use these tools on and off all day. The anti-slip handle grip is designed to adhere to the hand without causing rubbing friction. The three LED lights light up the area being worked on and do not get disabled until 20-seconds after releasing the trigger to turn off the brushless motor.

The unit is also pleasingly compact at just 5.7-inches to slide it into tight spots between vehicles and perform a car-related task.

Features:

Complete cordless impact wrench set

Powerful 3/8-inch square drive

7-inch depth

XR lithium-ion batteries for over 30% longer life

3 LED lights that stay on for a few seconds after use

Comfy handle grip and trigger release

18-volt to 20-volt at full load

Two rechargeable 20-volt batteries

Battery charging base

Hog ring included

Pros

Work on vehicles in tight space due to compactness

Lighter than many alternative models

Two batteries and a charging bay

Longer lasting battery 30% greater

Durable casing to get many years out of the product

Hog ring to work with different socket sizes

Multiple LED lights that’s stay on for 15-20 seconds after powering down

It’s slightly ironic that this Milwaukee branded tool is made in China.Nevertheless, this red, grey and black hued beast of an impact wrench comes highly recommended.

It has a 4-pole motor that delivers 450 ft-lbs of torque. Considering that most lug nuts don’t need much more than 90 ft-lbs and bolts tend to require up to 120 ft-lbs, there’s torque to spare here. There’s also an overload protection system too.

The trigger offers selectable speeds to avoid breaking a nut by over torqueing it. The RPMs reach 1,900 but this 1/2-inch square drive with anvil for socket changes using a friction ring isn’t hard. While Milwaukee does have a higher-powered model than this one, most people especially home-based hobbyists will do fine here.

The modestly textured grip and trigger release both work well to control the motor and avoid hand fatigue too. A good model for home mechanics but also in the workshop too. Takes off nuts that some pneumatic units couldn’t. No slouch.

Performs surprisingly well compared to initial expectations.

This is just the tool. There’s no battery or charger provided.

FEATURE & SPECIFICATION:

Cordless electric ½-inch square drive impact wrench

4-pole motor surrounded by rare earth magnets

Protected from motor overloading

Can supply 450-ft-lbs of torque

Up to 1,900 RPM

½-inch anvil with friction ring for each socket swaps

Hand tool. No battery or charger supplied

Pros

½-inch square drive high-torque model to rip through nuts throughout a vehicle

Ingersoll Rand have been making tools for over a century. Their no-nonsense Impact tool, the W7150-K2, is clearly designed for the car mechanic that has to handle anything and everything. It features a 1,100 ft-lbs torque that blows most tools in this category clean away.

The motor has rare earth magnets like the previous Milwaukee model reviewed. The trigger allows different speed selections on the fly. The drive train is made entirely from metal for more durability. The housing it also metal and strengthened to last the duration. The model may not look pretty – its decked out in black and silver – but it’s all business, all the damn time.

The grip is textured and molded with an easy curved trigger. The 6.8-pound weight is not the lightest but that’s necessary we’d say to deliver the incredible torque.

The 20-volt battery system uses smart management features to extend the usefulness when using the tool here and there throughout the day. There’s a battery charger and two 3-amp hour batteries supplied. An auxiliary USB portis also here just in case you need one.

This is clearly the professional’s impact wrench. It’s more than you’d ever need in the home, but busy mechanics who never want to be left with too little power will certainly love this model.

Bosch make dependable tools. They’ve earned their reputation over the decades. The Bosch IWH181-01 is no different.

The 3/8th-inch square drive comes with two batteries and a charger.The unit itself is 6.7-lbs in the hand. It supplies 1,500 in-lbs of torque at the top end using 2,800 RPMs. The front to back measurement of 6-inches makes it slight and easier to get into tight spots to work.

There’s a LED light to help see what you’re doing when there’s too little light to see naturally or you’re blocking the overhead lights in a narrow passageway.

Unusually, there’s the option of either a 14-volt lithium-ion battery or an 18-volt one. A hard case is also supplied to house the entire kit safely and not leave anything behind.

The look of this Bosch unit is workman-like. It is black with blue inserts and a red trigger. The textured grip from the front area to the back lets the hand breathe and sweat to evaporate. The curved trigger is smooth and easy to access too. The model design aims to be both shorter and lighter than other options in its class supplying enough torque to be highly useful in the workshop.

One-year warranty.

FEATURE & SPECIFICATION:

3/8-inch square drive cordless impact wrench set

Runs on both 14-volt and 18-volt lithium-ion batteries

Brushless motor

2,800 RPMs

1,600 in-lbs of torque

LED light for dark areas

6-inch length

7-lbs weight

Molded grip

Curved trigger

Case for easy storage

Pros

3/8th-inch square drive for flexible socket usage

Motor that’s brushless is a sought-after feature

Lighter at only 6.7-lbs for easy one day use

Textured grip that’s more comfortable and breathable than most

Short length to slide the tool into tight spots to get to work

Two different voltage batteries for different charging and usage times

1,600 inch-lbs of torque to remove lug nuts and other nuts in a vehicle

How to Choose the Best Impact Wrench

Torque – The amount of torque indicates how much strength is being exerted on the nut to get it to release when it’s stuck into position. When older nuts receive too much torque, they may break which is worth considering.

Drive Measurement – The measurement for most impact wrenches is either 3/8th-inch or ½-inch. Either is fine because you’ll be using sockets to adjust the sizing anyway. However, when sizing down from 3/8th to 1/2, sometimes a minor percentage of the torque is lost. With a ½-inch tool, it is more easily compatible with socket sizes than a 3/8th model.

Motor Type – Some motors are measured by poles or are brushless. The brushless type is more repairable or replaceable, and last longer when pushed hard with RPMs on high at regular intervals.

Battery Type – Most batteries (all models under review) are the newer lithium-ion type that don’t suffer from memory imaging issues or phantom battery drain. Some batteries like the XLR ones from DeWalt last longer than regular lithium-ion ones.

Size & Weight – Given that cordless impact wrenches are being used in place of air tools to lessen the weight and get into tighter spots, the size and weight is important. There are standard sizes and compact models in the cordless ranges from big brands. Generally, the compact models have less torque and so there’s a trade-off between power, size and weight.

Build Quality – The drive shaft and housing are sometimes all-metal and sometimes not. The outer shell of tools is also not always made of magnesium or another strong metal. Metal use tends to protect tools from easy damage and wear over time.

Brand – The brand comes into the equation in terms of reputation andhow many years the company behind the brand has existed. Some manufacturers are respected for their reliability and others are not because their tools tend to break too often. Sometimes you pay up for a good brand and the better materials and manufacturing processes they use to produce their tools; long-term brands have a reputation to protect which results in better quality much of the time.

Benefits of Using Cordless Impact Wrench

Cordless impact wrenches are surprisingly lightweight mechanical tools that mechanics frequently reach for during a busy day in the workshop. Having to untangle the power cable or walk over to the air tool is no longer necessary because these models are powered by lithium-ion batteries. Powered down between uses, their battery saving modes kick in to ensure day-long use in many cases.

The square drive at the front proves useful to apply sockets correctly. They use powerful brushless motors or 4-pole ones to undo lug nuts on the outside of a wheel. The motor powers the square drive up to 2,800 RPMs and an impressive level of torque (around 1,600 pounds per inch at the top end). The combination of rotation and speed delivers unbeaten lug loosening (and tightening) action to get quick access to each wheel when needing to change them out or replace a tire.

The weight of the tool isn’t held back by the pull of the power cord dragging along behind it. The molded grip afforded most models makes a cordless impact wrench comfortable to hold in either hand while it powers through the tightest of nuts. Not every unit weighs the same either. Some are only 7 pounds or so. This is a factor when holding it in your hand a good part of the day; eventually it’ll exhaust your arm and shoulder if it weights too much.

A LED light on this type of tool is highly advisable. It saves having to wear a light on your head with a strap to hold it in place which gets hot and uncomfortable after a while. A white LED is useful, but some models come with a red light which is less tiring on the eyes as the day wears on.

Most units run on 18-volts or 20-volts. The battery packs work on a similar voltage to ensure compatibility with their brand, but they won’t be compatible with other brands too. Sometimes the same batteries and recharging unit can be used with other power tools from the identical brand which makes it easier to use a battery with another tool. But verify on the manufacturer’s web site whether the batteries are interchangeable in this manner with their whole cordless range; don’t assume they are.

Be sure to have both a charging pod and a couple of batteries. If the product comes with one battery and only a power cord for recharging, we would suggest buying a spare battery and recharging unit too or look for a complete set (we have several reviewed in this guide). This way, you can be using the impact wrench while recharging the second battery, so you never run out of power. After all, a workshop manager won’t be too pleased if you cannot use your tools because their batteries are all dead. Be prepared.

Types of Impact Wrenches

The best impact wrench sets tend to include a single cordless unit, a couple of batteries and a charging unit.A hard-plastic carry case is ideal to pack everything away securely to take the equipment home with you in a situation where workshop staff are required to have their own tools and not use those owned by the garage.

Most units come with a ½-inch square drive. Occasionally, there’s a 3/8th-inch one instead but a socket conversion to ½-inch is possible. Sometimes this does make the pounds of torque lower during use as something is lost by using a socket adapter. Some models offer up to 2,800 RPMs to deliver the powerful torque capable of loosening the most stubborn lug nuts.

It’s helpful when a cordless impact wrench comes with a hog ring anvil which enables you to easily swap sockets connections. This makes it simpler to handle different size nuts that are used on different vehicle and wheel sizes.

Some of the better impact wrenches have LED lights attached to them that activate in darker conditions. These are certainly helpful when changing tires or having to remove a wheel in the course of a repair. When a workshop isn’t well lit in the latter hours of the day as the sun is going down outside, then there is sometimes insufficient light to see 100% clearly which is where the LEDs are useful.

The alternative to a cordless impact wrench is a pneumatic air tool or heaven forbid, loosening tight lug nuts using a tool that you place in position and rotate the dual arms to gradually loosen the nuts if you have enough arm strength!

In the case of the former, a corded tool is fine if you don’t like relying on batteries because they used to die on you unexpectedly. However, with the advent of Lithium-ion battery technologies, ghosting and other battery drain issues that were commonplace a few years ago are no longer an issue. Being plugged into a power outlet has some benefits, but it’s also a safety hazard for tripping over the cable, a power surge could damage the tool, or there’s not enough power outlets for all the tools needing a socket at the same time. Read more about Electric Impact Wrench.

With the latter, taking the lug nuts off by hand is a time-consuming, energy-sapping process that’s no fun. Anyone who’s previously been stuck by the side of the road with a flat tire and needed to swap it out for the spare in the trunk can attest to having had trouble removing all the lug nuts (there’s almost always one stubborn one).

Conclusion:

When deciding on the best cordless impact wrench, it comes down to whether you’re looking for the most powerful model, the best brand, the most features, the smallest, or the lightest. While none of the models reviewed will rival the brute force power of an air tool, a few models come close enough to put away the restrictive pneumatic air tool for good. Ultimately, the best impact wrench is the one that suits your needs. If the smallest one is what’s needed, accept the torque trade-off there. If raw power is required, then a larger, heavier model like the Ingersoll Rand W7150-K2 is probably going to be your tool of choice. There’s no one right answer; only the right tool for your personal or business needs will do.

Impact Wrench Guides is an Industrial Interest blog where we have tried our best to give a easy snapshot of the best Impact Wrenches Available in the US market based on Price, Best selling and Customer Reviews at Amazon.

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